Wind-type musical instrument

ABSTRACT

Herein disclosed is an improved wind-type musical instrument such as a saxophone, wherein at least one outwardly projecting air chamber is formed in a tubular neck section between a mouthpiece and a tubular body section or in that portion of the tubular body section which is located intermediate between a tone-hole for the highest note and the neck section. The air chamber serves as if it were a capacitor in an electric circuit, storing therein a portion of the tonal energy and thus giving the player a feeling of responsiveness and resistance.

[4 1 Jan. 8, 1974 United States Patent [1 1 Ihara WIND-TYPE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Yasuharu Ihara, Hamamatsu, Japan Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuka-ken, Japan July 31, 1972 Appl. No.: 276,585

Primary Examiner-LaWrence R. Franklin Attorney-Kurt Kelman et a1.

ABSTRACT Herein disclosed is an improved wind-type musical in- [22] Filed:

strument such as a saxophone, wherein at least one outwardly projecting air chamber is formed in a tubular neck section between a mouthpiece and a tubular body section or in that portion of the tubular bod section which is located intermediate between a ton [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug.2.l97l V J ,...................n gggg sr hole for the highest note and the neck section. The air chamber serves as if it were a capacitor in an electric circuit, storing therein a'portion of the tonal energy and thus giving the player a feeling of responsiveness and resistance.

wa 5 4 3 M M 8 5 3 .ooG B "w 4" 8 MB 4 "moo mmh U c a H-e "ms In I C d S M UhF 1]] 2 8 555 [.ll

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 698,322 Rogers.;................................ 84/380 PATENTEDJAH 8 1974 SHEET 2 BF 2 WIND-TYPE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT The present invention relates to wind-type musical instruments such as saxophones and clarinets and contemplates provision of a wind-type musical instrument which is capable of producing improved tones.

Although the improvement according to the present invention is applicable to any of the wind-type musical instruments, the invention will be described specifically in connection with the saxophones by way of example.

The existing saxophones are classified into two major categories of the professional and student types. In addition to the usual tone-holes which are provided in the saxophones of the student type, the professional type saxophone usually has a tone-hole which is allocated specifically for the note known as the high-F-sharp so as to provide a wider tonal compass.'By virtue of the provision of this particular tone-hole, the tones produced by the professional type saxophones are considerably superior in quality-to those available by the student type saxophones..When the outer orifice of the tone-hole for the note of the high-F-sharp is closed at its outer end edge so that an air chamber is formed at the tone-hole, the-quality of the tones produced by the professional saxophone 'still excels the quality of those obtained by the student instrument. The present-invention has been completed in consequence of various researches and experiments which have been conducted on the basis of this discovery.

The wind-type musical instrument according to the present invention is, thus, characterized by the provision of at least one air chamber appreciably protruding outwardly of a wall portion intervening between a mouthpiece and a tone-hole for the highest note. The provision of the air chamber or chambers will significantly contribute to enhancement of the quality of the tones produced and improve resonance characteristics in the body section so as to produce powerful and protracted tones with improved quality. The features and advantages of the wind-type instrument according to the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description taken" in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a typical example of the prior art saxophone of the student type;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 but shows a typical example of the conventional saxophones of the professional yp FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a saxophone according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary. view showing on an enlarged scale and partly in section a modified detail of the saxophone illustrated in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but shows a modified form of the saxophone shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the saxophone which is presently in common use usually consists of a tubular body section and a mouthpiece 12 connected to the body section through a curved tubular neck section 14 detachably connected to the body section. The tubular body section 10 has a bell-mouthed end portion (not shown) and a number of axially spaced tone-holes obscured in the drawing by associated valves or finger. It

was observed that the tones produced by the instru ment of FIG. 2, while the outer orifice of the hole is sealed, are superior in quality to those obtainable by the saxophone of the student type, shown in FIG. 1

which lacks the additional tone-hole for the high-F- sharp note. Experiments were further conducted with saxophones having air-chambers which were located differently. Location of the air-chambers between the tone-holes resulted in unbalanced tones and, as such, was considered unacceptable. It was finally ascertained that the tones with improved quality can be achieved if the air chamber or chambers are located intermediate between the tone-hole for the highest note and the mouthpiece, viz., in the detachable tubular neck section intervening between the tubular body section and the mouthpiece or in the body section intervening between the tone-hole nearest the mouthpiece and the tubular neck section. FIG. 3 illustrates an arrangement in which only one air chamber 22 is formed in the wall of the neck section 14 between the tubular body section 10 and mouthpiece 12. The air chamber 22 may preferably have a circular cross section. It is, in this instance,

spacing or spacings from the mouthpiece. The tones with the acceptable quality can also be achieved if the air chamber or chambers 22 are formed in the wall of the tubular body section 10 provided the chamber or chambers are located between the tone-hole for the highest note and the neck section 14.

The air chamber or chambers 22 may be provided in the saxophone of either the student type or the professional type. The provision of the air chamber or chambers in the saxophone of the professional type is highly advisable because it will significantly add to the quality of the tones which are achieved as a result of the provision of the tone-hole 18 for the highest note. This will suggest and it has been ascertained that provision of two or more air chambers results better tones than the tones produced by the saxophone provided with only one air chamber. The experiments have also revealed that the larger the air chamber or chambers the better is the quality of the tones produced, although there exists a certain limitation on the size of the air chamber. In this regard, it has turned out that tones with a most excellent quality can be achieved where the air chamber is sized to have an inside diameter of approximately 10mm and a depth of approximately 2mm. The improvement in the quality of the tones through provision of the air chamber or chambers can also be accomplished in other types of wind-type musical instrument such as flutes and clarinets. Due to provision of the air chamber or chambers in the wind-type instrument of any kind, the player will be given the feeling of responsiveness and resistivity and will thus be capable of producing powerful and lasting tones as desired. This could be accounted for by the fact that the air chamber in the instrument serves to store therein a portion of the tonal energy and, thus, acts as if it were a capacitor in an electric arrangement.

In forming the air chambers 22 in the tubular body section 10 and in the detachable piece section 14, an aperture 24 may first be formed in the wall of each section and 14 having a bore 10a and 14a, respectively, and a generally cup-shaped plug member or closure 26 is attached to the wall of the particular section in a manner to close the aperture 24 from the outside of the wall as illustrated in FIG. 4. Or otherwise, an aperture 28 defined by an outwardly turned peripheral wall 30 may be first formed in the section 10 or 14 and a plug member or closure 32 in a plate form is attached to the end of the outwardly turned wall 30 to close the aperture 28 from the outside as shown in FIG. 5.

What is Claimed is: i

1. In a wind instrument including an elongated tubular part having a longitudinal axis and an inner wall bounding an axial bore in said part, and a mouthpiece secured to one axial end of said part and communicating with said bore, said part being formed with a plurality of axially offset tone holes, one of said tone holes being axially nearest said mouthpiece, the improvement which comprises an air chamber having a permanently open orifice in said inner wall and including wall means permanently sealing said air chamber in a direction outward of said bore, said chamber communicating with said bore through said orifice, said orifice being axially interposed between said mouthpiece and said one tone hole.

2. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said wall means projecting from said part in a radially outward direction.

3. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 2, said wall means being cup shaped.

4. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim I, said part having a tubular body section and a tubular neck section connecting said body section to said mouthpiece, said body section being formed with said tone holes, said air chamber having said orifice in the inner wall of said neck section.

5. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 4, said longitudinal axis being arcuate in saidneck section.

6. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, valve means manually operable for closing each of said tone holes.

7. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said orifice being substantially circular and having a diameter of about 10 millimeters, said air chamber having a radial depth of about two millimeters.

8. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said part having a tubular body section and a tubular neck section connecting said body section to said mouthpiece, said body section being formed with said tone holes, said air chamber having said orifice in the inner wall of said body section.

9. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 8, the inner wall of said neck section being formed with a permanently open orifice, and said neck section including wall means permanently sealing a second air chamber in a direction outward of said bore, said second chamber communicating with said bore through said orifice in said neck section. 

1. In a wind instrument including an elongated tubular part having a longitudinal axis and an inner wall bounding an axial bore in said part, and a mouthpiece secured to one axial end of said part and communicating with said bore, said part being formed with a plurality of axially offset tone holes, one of said tone holes being axially nearest said mouthpiece, the improvement which comprises an air chamber having a permanently open orifice in said inner wall and including wall means permanently sealing said air chamber in a direction outward of said bore, said chamber communicating with said bore through said orifice, said orifice being axially interposed between said mouthpiece and said one tone hole.
 2. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said wall means projecting from said part in a radially outward direction.
 3. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 2, said wall means being cup shaped.
 4. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said part having a tubular body section and a tubular neck section connecting said body section to said mouthpiece, said body section being formed with said tone holes, said air chamber having said orifice in the inner wall of said neck section.
 5. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 4, said longitudinal axis being arcuate in said neck section.
 6. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, valve means manually operable for closing each of said tone holes.
 7. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said orifice being substantially circular and having a diameter of about 10 millimeters, said air chamber having a radial depth of about two millimeters.
 8. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 1, said part having a tubular body section and a tubular neck section connecting said body section to said mouthpiece, said body section being formed with said tone holes, said air chamber having said orifice in the inner wall of said body section.
 9. In a wind instrument as set forth in claim 8, the inner wall of said neck section being formed with a permanently open orifice, and said neck section including wall means permanently sealing a second air chamber in a direction outward of said bore, said second chamber communicating with said bore through said orifice in said neck section. 